Funding will help teen to fulfil dream
Cash for deaf/blind actor
A talented deaf and blind actor has landed funding to help him boost his singing and acting.
Andrew Pettigrew, from High Earnock, has been awarded the cash through the Nurturing Talent Fund.
The 16-year-old is a pupil at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh and has recently starred in their production of Willy Wonka.
Over the last few years Andrew has won three prizes for writing – the Pushkin Prize, Seeing Ear and a commended place in the National Poetry Society’s Foyle Young Poet of the Year Award.
He is also a talented drummer and has performed with the Sensatronics, and with Airborne at their sound check at Glasgow Barrowlands. Andrew will use the funding he has received to contribute to the cost of a communicator who can accompany him to various projects that will help his acting and music singing, and enable the talented youngster to communicate fluently with everyone in the group.
He explained: “I am a deaf/blind 16-year-old who loves drama and music.
“The funding will allow me to take part in the activities at the Deaf Youth Theatre.
“Without a communicator/guide I would feel isolated because I can’t hear well in loud situations and I can’t get visual clues either.”
The delighted teenager added: “With my communicator/guide Marcus, I feel so much more independent and able to express myself in any way that I choose.”